Combined awning and shutter



J. J. MORRISON COMBINED AWNING AND SHUTTER Filed June 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n e nt 0 T: James Mfr/50f? Oct. 3, 1950 J. J. MORRISON 2,524,464

COMBINED AWNING AND SHUTTER Filed June 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nve n tor: James Nor/71500 WM His Attorney.

Patented Oct. 3 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to awnings and particularly to awnings formed of rigid material, such as sheet metal. More particularly, it relates to improvements in such awnings whereby they are rendered collapsible or foldable to facilitate storage and shipping, and which, when a house is closed for the season, or any other reason, may be down-folded to form a closure or shutter for the window to which they are attached.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an awning formed of sheet metal or other rigid sheet material which may be painted to simulate an ordinar fabric awning which will be ornamental in configuration; and which may be folded down and secured to the window frame to form a closure or shutter for the window in the event of severe storms, such as hurricanes, or to form a closure for the window when the house is unoccupied.

Another object is to provide an awning of such design which is formed of rigid sheet material and which may be folded into a comparatively small compact unit to facilitate the shipping or storage thereof.

A further object is to provide an awning of the character described which will have an indefinitely long life and be free from corrosion or disintegration due to an indefinitely long exposure to the elements.

With these objects in view, my invention includes the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a building having a window therein with which my awning is associated;

Fig. 2 is a, side elevation view of the awning;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the awning;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation view of my device when folded in shutter-forming position;

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 4 in the plane 6-6; and

Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 4 in the plane 1-4.

Referring to the drawings- My awning comprises a main portion I which is provided at the top with a hinge 2 adapting it to be secured to the front of a building or the top of a window frame 3 so that it may be swung down from the normal, awning-forming position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to the shutterforming position shown in Figs. 4-7, inclusive. Preferably, but not necessarily, integral with the main portion of the awning I are comparatively Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,721

short, side valances 4 which are adapted to close the spaces between the building or window frame and the main portion of the awning, at the sides thereof, when the main portion is downfolded, as shown in Figs. 4-7, inclusive,

The awning is also provided at the sides with valences 5 which, in normal awning-forming position, depend below the valances 4, and which are connected to the main portion of the awning b hinges 6 adapting them to be infolded to underlie the main portion 1 ofthe awning when the awning is in shutter-forming position, as shown in Figs. 4-7, inclusive. Pivotally secured at I to each of the valances 5 is a brace 8, the free end of which is pivotally secured to a bracket 9 on the window frame and supports the awning in awning-forming position, i

The main portion of the awning is also provided with a front valance I0 which is secured to the main portion of the awning by means of a hinge ll adapting it to be swung outwardly into a position approximately coplanar with the main portion of the awning I when the awning is in shutter-forming position, as ShOWn in Figs. 4-6, inclusive. The front valance l0 isprovided, with inturned side flanges I 2 of a width substantially equal to the side valances 4 in order to. form closures for the. spaces between the valance. ID and the sides of the house or window frame.- when the awning is in shutter-forming position.

The valances 5 and H] are normally heldim awning-forming relation by means of pins or: machine screws I3 extending through the valances 5 and the side flanges I2 of the front valance.

In the case of most windows, the awning cannot be made long enough to form a complete closure for the window, when in shutter-forming position, without impairing the proper appearance of the device, when in awning-forming position. Therefore, in such a case, to form a complete shutter closure for the window, a separate unit l4 may be provided having a top portion [5 adapted partially to underlie the valance ID, as shown at I 6 in Fig. 6, downturned side flanges I'l forming extensions of the side closures of the shutter, and a downturned bottom flange l8 forming a closure for the bottom of the shutter and which ma be secured to the bottom of the window frame 3 by screws l9 passing through the depending flange 20 which lies against the bottom of said frame.

When in shutter-forming position, the downturned side flanges of the element l5 may be secured. to the flanges I2 of the front valance I l by removing the pins l3 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and inserting them in the positions shown at I3 in Figs. 4 and 5. In order to prevent the pins l3 from being withdrawn from the outside of the shutter, cotter pins 2| are passed through holes in the pins l3, [3, as shown in Fig. 6. In order to secure the main portion of the awning in shutter-forming position, the pins 22 which secure the braces B to the brackets 9 of the awning are inserted through openings 23 provided in the valances 4 and secured in place by cotter pins 24.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a device which will function as an awning and which may be downfolded to form a complete closure for the window. Although the screws 19 may be removed from the outside, it will be apparent that the element 14 cannot be easily raised away from the window frame because it is held down by the front valance l0 and secured to said valance by the pins l3 which cannot be readily pulled out because of the cotter pins 2! on the inside thereof,

I prefer to form my combined awning and shutter of sheet or strip aluminum, depending upon its size, because it is light and substantially :non-corrodible.

What I claim is: 1. A folding awnin comprising a main por- "tion formed of sheet metal and provided at the 'top with means adapting it to be secured to a building, side valances formed of sheet metal, :a hinge connecting each of said side valances at the top thereof to the under side of said main portion by which said side valances are swingable into positions beneath said main portion, a front valance formed of sheet metal, a hinge connecting said front valance at the top thereof to the under side of said'main portion adjacent the front edge thereof by which said valance is swingable between a normal, valance-formin position and a position approximately coplanar with and forming an extension of the main portion of said awning, and means detachably securing said valances together in awning-forming position.

2. A folding awning comprising ainain portion formed of sheet metal and provided at the top with means adapting it to be secured to a building, side valances formed of sheet metal, a hinge connecting each of said side valances at the top thereof to the under 'side of said main portion by which said'side valances are swingable into positions beneath said main portion, braces pivotally connected to said side valances and swingable therewith, a front valance formed of sheet'metal, a hinge connecting said front valance at the top thereof to the under side of said main portion adjacent the front edge thereof by which said front valance is swingable between a normal, valance-forming position anda position approximately coplanar with and forming an extension 4 of the main portion of said awning, and means detachably securing said valances together in awning-forming position.

3. A combined shutter and awning comprising a main portion formed of sheet metal and provided at the top with a hinge for securing it to a building above a window and swingable on said hinge from a normal, downwardly and outwardly inclined, awning-forming position to a shutterforming position offset from and substantially parallel to the front of said building, side valances formed of sheet metal rigidly connected to said main portion and closing the spaces between said building and said main portion when the latter is in shutter-forming position, side valances formed of sheet 'metal normally depending below said rigidly connected valances but provided at the top thereof with hinges connecting them to the under side of said main portion adjacent the first mentioned valances and swingable by said latter hinges into positions beneath said main portion when in shutter-forming position, a front valance formed of sheet metal, and a hinge conn'ecting said front valance at the top thereof to the under side of said main portion adjacent the front edge thereof, said front valance being swingable between a normal, valance-forming position and a position approximately coplanar with and forming an extension of the main portion of said awning when in shutter-forming position; said front valance being provided with portions at the sides thereof forming space-closing extensions of the first above mentioned side valances when in shutter-forming position.

4. The structure set forth'in claim 1 in which braces for holding said awning in awning-forming position on a building are pivotally attached to said side valances and swing therewith beneath said main portion, and said main portion is provided with fixed side valances smaller than and depending from said main portion outside said hinged side valances.

5. The structure set forthin claim 3 in which braces for holding said combined shutter and awning in awning-forming position on a building are pivotally attached to the side valances hingedly connected to the top portion andswing therewith beneath said top portion when in'shut't'erforming position.

JAMES J. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

